Copper Sun

Copper Sun is a 2006 young adult novel by Coretta Scott King Award-winning author Sharon Draper. It was a National Book Award winner.

Copper Sun
Official cover art
AuthorSharon M. Draper
CountryUnited States
GenreHistorical fiction
PublisherAtheneum Books
Publication date
2006
AwardsCoretta Scott King Award
ISBN9781416953487

Characters
  • Amari is a strong 15-year-old slave, and the main character who endures the horrors of slavery.
  • Polly is a 15-year-old indentured servant that changes her mind about slavery when she meets Amari and sees how they are treated.
  • Mrs. Derby is a sweet, affectionate woman and Mr. Derby's 18 year old, second wife. She gets pregnant by Noah, a slave and her bodyguard whom she loves, and Mr. Derby gets so enraged by his wife having a black baby, that he kills Noah and the baby.
  • Nathan is a kind young man who helps the children along their journey.
  • Noah is a caring, strong young man who is in love with Mrs.Derby, and impregnates Mrs. Derby. He is her bodyguard.
  • Besa "Buck" is a drummer from Amari's village and her fiance who becomes enslaved after the capture.
  • Clay is Mr. Derby's son who impregnates Amari. He is left tied to a tree by the children as a rattlesnake is slithering toward him.
  • Mr. Derby is the harsh and cruel slave owner who kills Mrs. Derby's baby and Noah.
  • Kwasi is Amari's precocious little brother who dies shortly after the massacre by getting impaled in the stomach near the village
  • Komla Amari and Kwasi's father is the village storyteller who was murdered during the capture.
  • Tidbit is an overly imaginative child. He is also the son of Teenie. He loves Hushpuppy, his dog, very much, and hates the thought of parting with him.
  • Afi is Amari's good friend who is like a motherly figure to Amari from the boat to the new land.
  • Teenie is Tidbits mother. She was born into slavery. She is the head chef at Derbyshire farms. She helps Amari settle in and gives Amari and Polly jobs to help around the kitchen

Setting

The beginning of the book is set in Ziavi which is the African village that Amari and Besa have grown up in. Then they are taken away to Cape Coast Castle and are loaded onto the slave ships to America. They are then sold and Amari goes to Charlestown, South Carolina. In the end, they make it to Fort Mose, Florida. The time period for this book is around the 1700s.

Background

When Draper traveled to Ghana, West Africa, she visited the Point of No Return and the castles had thousands of slaves that were kept before getting on the ship which made her inspired to write this novel.[1]

Major Themes

Copper Sun addresses issues of the African Slave Trade, slavery in America, and freedom.[2] Beverly Almond noted that the novel expresses “unimaginable hardship” and “starvation and disease”.[3] Another critic claimed that the book showed themes of "pain, hope, and determination" and "human exploitation and suffering".[4] Kirkus Reviews added the novel showed "cynicism and realistic outlook".[5]

Reception

Most critics saw Copper Sun as “unflinching and unforgettable”.[6] Another critic thought of the novel as “character driven, with a fast moving plot, and unforgettable characters”.[7] Agreeing, another critic noted that the novel was "horrific" "multi-faceted" and that "[they were] afraid to turn the page"[8]

Awards and nominations

Sharon Draper's Copper Sun won the Coretta Scott King award in 2007.[9]

Bibliography
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References
  1. "Copper Sun - My Spirit Speaks". www.sharondraper.com. Sharon Draper. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  2. "Copper Sun". Scholastic. Retrieved 2012-03-15.
  3. Almond, Beverly (April 2007). "Copper Sun". School Library Journal (4): 1. ISSN 0362-8930. Retrieved 2012-03-15.
  4. Larson, Gerry (January 2006). "Copper Sun". School Library Journal. School Library Journey. 52 (1): 1. ISSN 0362-8930.
  5. "Copper Sun". Kirkus Reviews. Kircus Reviews. 74 (1): 1. January 1, 2006. ISSN 1948-7428. Retrieved 2012-03-13.
  6. "Copper Sun". Scholastic. Retrieved 2012-03-15.
  7. "sharondraper.com". Retrieved 2012-03-15.
  8. Cuseo, Allan O'Grady (September 2006). "Copper Sun". Catholic Library World. 77 (1): 1. ISSN 0008-820X. Retrieved 2012-03-18.
  9. "Coretta Scott King Book Awards - All Recipients, 1970-Present". American Library Association. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
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